Cadets Receive Prestigious Awards

Civil Air Patrol cadets earn awards by completing rigorous physical test, comprehensive leadership and aerospace exams, and they must complete an encampment. Cadets also learn how to lead, study Air Force perspectives on leadership, including principles of officer ship, and the responsibilities of command.
Two cadets were recently awarded the General Billy Mitchell Award and the Amelia Earhart Award. The Billy Mitchell award represents the completion of 8 of 16 required cadet achievements. General Bill Mitchell is considered by many to be the most important figure in history of airpower. He is remembered for his prophetic vision of an independent air force, for his prediction of an enemy bombing of Pear Harbor, and for his successful command of bombing runs on a captured German ship that demonstrated U.S. naval vulnerability to air attack.

The Amelia Earhart Award represents the mastery of 11 of 16 required cadet achievements. Amelia Earhart, the groundbreaking woman aviation pioneer who set many records for women aviators in aviation’s infancy and who was lost while attempting to be the first woman to circumnavigate the globe. In 1932 Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1935, she became the first person to ever fly solo across the Pacific Ocean, soaring from Honolulu to Oakland, California.

Colonel Richard Greenwood, Georgia Wing Commander, delivered the awards to 2Lt McSwain and Captain Mallinak during ceremonies at the squadron meeting room. During comments to 507th members and family attending, Colonel Greenwood stated, “as a young cadet and now senior member, I have attended many award ceremonies, but never two such prestigious awards in the same unit simultaneously. I am very proud of these cadets and the 507”.

Congratulations to C/2Lt McSwain and C/Capt Mallinak.